finale

noun

fi·​na·​le fə-ˈna-lē How to pronounce finale (audio) fi-ˈnä- How to pronounce finale (audio)
: the close or termination of something: such as
a
: the last section of an instrumental musical composition
the symphony's finale
b
: the closing part, scene, or number in a public performance
the finale of the ballet
In the finale, the singer sang an Italian classic.
c
: the last and often climactic event or item in a sequence
the TV show's season finale

Examples of finale in a Sentence

She sung a very difficult song for the finale. the finale to the festivities was a grand display of fireworks
Recent Examples on the Web This post contains spoilers from the season 2 finale of Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test. Lanford Beard, Peoplemag, 28 Nov. 2023 In the last section of the show, Giant Presence, monumental artworks form an impressive finale in the Museum’s Great Hall atrium. Okla Jones, Essence, 28 Nov. 2023 Ahead of the season finale of Lessons in Chemistry, Eisenberg talked to Rolling Stone about choosing what material to be precious with, the skill of Brie Larson, and how his first adaptation gave him new lifelong collaborators. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2023 Immediately, we're thrown back into the finale of season two, where Sabi discovers that their father has suddenly passed away from a heart attack. Alexandra Koster, refinery29.com, 23 Nov. 2023 The leaks were true: Eminem is coming to Fortnite as part of the game’s Chapter 4 finale. Emma Roth, The Verge, 22 Nov. 2023 The season five finale drops Jan. 16, 2024 on FX and Jan. 17, 2024 on Hulu. Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Nov. 2023 What will be interesting is how the emotion of the moment translates on the field this week and in next week’s finale against the Bulldogs. 2. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Nov. 2023 The final lineup was determined by a combination of early votes and real-time votes during the finale, as well as the evaluators’ scores. Michaela Zee, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, noun derivative of finale, adjective, "last, final entry 1," going back to Latin fīnālis

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of finale was in 1774

Dictionary Entries Near finale

Cite this Entry

“Finale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finale. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

finale

noun
fi·​na·​le fə-ˈnal-ē How to pronounce finale (audio) fi-ˈnäl- How to pronounce finale (audio)
: the close or end of something (as a musical work)

More from Merriam-Webster on finale

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!